MANILA, Philippines -- Jenel Lausa stunned for Pacific X-Treme Combat bantamweight titlist and countryman Crisanto Pitpitunge with a split decision victory to crown himself new flyweight champion in PXC 51 at the Solaire Resort and Casino in Paranaque City Saturday night.
Lausa got two judges' nod, 48-47, while Pitpitunge won on one, 48-47, as the former snared the vacant crown stripped from Alvin Cacdac after he couldn't make the weight in PXC 48 late last year.
It was Lausa's fourth straight victory and sixth overall in eight bouts while Pitpitunge saw his three-fight streak snapped and fell to 8-4 (win-loss).
Lausa, a 27-year-old native of Concepcion, Iloilo, lived up to hype and battled Pitpitunge, a proud fighter from Baguio City-based Team Lakay, in one of the most exciting fights in the PXC that last five full rounds.
In the end, it was Lausa winning over the fighter he admired most.
"He's one of the fighters I looked up to and I respect him a lot," said Lausa, who is ranked 13th in professional boxing in the whole of Southeast Asia, in Filipino.
Rolando Dy, son of boxing great Rolando Navarrete, bounced back from a two-fight skid by pulling off a unanimous decision win over Miguel Mosquera in one of the most anticipated undercards of the night.
Dy, 24, won all cards, 30-27, to bounce back from split decision setbacks to Guam's Kyle Aguon and improved to 6-4.
"It's a good feeling finally winning again," said Dy, who said he hopes to get a title shot soon.
Aguon, for his part, lost a unanimous decision match to Korean Kwan Ho Kwak in the co-main event of the card.
The Phl's Gina Iniong won via submission (leg lock) over Spain's Vanessa Fernandez to boost her stock with a 4-2 record.
Other results saw John Cris Corton winning over Farmon Gafarov, Sho Kogane beating Wesley Machado, Ernie Braca edging Emilio Urrutia, Han Seul Kim defeating Nao Yoneda and Rex de Lara stopping Stephen Loman.